[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army":3,"chapter-a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-596":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","A Little Soldier of the Late Ming Border Army",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1205885,1561,"Chapter 596: Departure","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-596",596,"\u003Cp>When Wang Dou was summoned by the Chongzhen Emperor, Yang Guozhu and the others… were still inside the Jade Garden. They all privately speculated on why His Majesty had summoned the Marquis of Yongning for a private audience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They waited a long while, then saw Wang Dou and Wang Chengen emerge, but the Emperor was nowhere to be seen. Each man was secretly puzzled, yet none felt it proper to ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Chengen, expressionless, proclaimed His Majesty’s oral decree: all Grand Secretaries and the newly promoted counts and marquises were to withdraw; all officials receiving rewards were to proceed outside the Meridian Gate. The imperial patents and gifts would be placed in the Dragon Pavilion and, with full ceremonial regalia, drums, and music, escorted back to their respective residences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd exited the palace. By now the lanterns were just being lit, and the streets surged with people. News that Wang Dou and the others had been enfeoffed had long since spread throughout the capital. When the procession appeared, shouts of “Marquis of Yongning!” and “Marquis of Jibei!” rose everywhere, wave upon wave, seeming to roll from inside the city to outside its walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be enfeoffed as marquis and appointed general — at this moment, who knows how many people dreamed of reaching this moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tonight, the capital knew no sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the Huitong Hostel had arranged lodgings and the various counts and marquises would later be granted mansions in the capital, Wang Dou and the others still stayed within the military encampment. When each count’s and marquis’s procession set out, officials from the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of War, and the Court of State Ceremonial traveled alongside, proclaiming the glory of the enfeoffment and rewards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Traveling with Wang Dou was also a palace representative, the young eunuch Wang Desheng. He rode with Wang Dou inside a carriage palanquin, sighing and lamenting without cease the entire way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they reached the Jingbian Army encampment, by now all the officers and soldiers knew that the Grand General had been enfeoffed as marquis, and the camp was filled with jubilation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The procession entered, and after another round of ceremonies, the various officials took their leave. Before they departed, Wang Dou had Zhong Diaoyang give each of them a red envelope, ranging from eighty-eight taels of silver to one hundred eighty-eight taels per person. The officials were overjoyed and all declared the Marquis of Yongning most generous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou also had Zhong Diaoyang give the young eunuch Wang Desheng a large red envelope, containing gold and silver worth a total of eight hundred eighty-eight taels of silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the young eunuch’s face showed little joy. He had been holding a heavy redwood tray inlaid with gold thread the entire time, and despite his small, thin frame, he seemed to do so without the slightest effort. The officers all took notice. After he set the tray down, Gao Shiyin could not help stepping forward and clicking his tongue: “Look at this little eunuch — skinny arms and skinny legs, but no small strength.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He moved to pinch the boy’s arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before his fingers could touch it,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a shadow flickered, and Gao Shiyin was already flipped onto the ground. Wang Desheng had one hand locked around his wrist and the other clamped on his throat, his fingers forming an eagle’s talon grip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Shiyin struggled several times, but felt his whole body go limp and weak; his face flushed crimson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officers were momentarily dumbstruck. Xie Yike even rubbed his eyes vigorously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Desheng released Gao Shiyin, took out the handkerchief Wang Dou had given him, wiped his hands, and said, “How annoying. I detest being pawed at.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turning around, he gave Wang Dou a shy smile, bowed, and said, “This servant takes his leave. Marquis of Yongning, take care.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou smiled faintly. “Young sir, take your time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Desheng easily lifted the heavy silver parcel and walked off. Only after he had left the tent did Gao Shiyin scramble to his feet with a grunt. Seeing everyone looking at him, he gave an embarrassed dry laugh: “Heh heh, that little eunuch’s got some decent moves.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enfeoffment on the Yiyou day struck the capital and its environs like a thunderclap, then swiftly spread to the metropolitan prefecture, Tongzhou, Tianjin, Baoding, Zhending, and beyond, crossing the Central Plains and reaching every corner of Jiangnan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the five great generals who died in battle were counted, the Chongzhen Emperor had, in one breath, enfeoffed fourteen counts and marquises this time. The strength of the ennobled class could be said to have surged powerfully forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the local nobles of former days who held high titles in idle comfort, every one of these newly promoted counts and marquises personally commanded heavy troops, possessed outstanding merit, and wielded great local influence. Although they still could not rival the vast civil official bloc, the balance of power at court could be said to have undergone a great shift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the various noble houses and high officials in the capital felt their collective spirits lifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the days that followed, the court held memorial rites for those who had died in battle, rewarded the troops, and deliberated on the appointment of garrison commanders for the various frontier posts — a multitude of complex affairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the fourteenth day of the eleventh month, after intense debate, the appointments for Regional Commander of each garrison were finally settled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Dou, Marquis of Yongning, was appointed Regional Commander of Xuanfu Garrison. To this, neither the court nor the public raised any objection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To demonstrate the importance placed on the Marquis of Yongning, for the several sectors under Xuanfu Garrison — especially the Eastern Sector — the Marquis of Yongning held the power to propose or select candidates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the Regional Commanders of the remaining frontier garrisons and the various sectors under them, each man held only command authority; personnel, provisions, and pay remained in the hands of the provincial governors and the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Guozhu, Marquis of Jibei, was appointed Regional Commander of Ji Garrison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That post happened to lack a Regional Commander. Looking across the entire Great Ming, who besides Yang Guozhu could fill it? With the formidable cavalry of his main-battalion and his New Army soldiers serving as a capital bulwark against incursions by the eastern slaves and northern caitiffs, he was the most qualified candidate imaginable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After consulting Wang Dou’s opinion, Yang Guozhu’s main-battalion and nearly ten thousand New Army troops would all be taken to Ji Garrison. Originally, by Great Ming convention, aside from Yang Guozhu’s personal retainers, all these main-battalion and New Army troops should have remained in Xuanfu Garrison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That Wang Dou proved so accommodating greatly surprised all parties. Throughout the capital, cries extolling the Marquis of Yongning’s wholehearted loyalty and his devotion to country and people rose once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Sangui, Count of Pingxi, was appointed Regional Commander of Liaodong. One could say both his rank and his post had been greatly elevated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zhaoji, Count of Dongping and the former Regional Commander of Liaodong, was reassigned as Regional Commander of Shanhai Pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zhaoji had always lived in Wu Sangui’s shadow. Transferring him to Shanhai Pass could be considered opening up a new world elsewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, he was a steady man, and having him defend the strategic pass of Shanhai put both sovereign and ministers greatly at ease. Thus, for the Liaodong region, with Wu Sangui at the front and Liu Zhaoji at the rear, and with Yang Guozhu on the flank, the Ji-Liao defense line could be said to be as impregnable as metal and boiling water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Pu, Count of Dingxing, remained unchanged as Regional Commander of Datong Garrison.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The successor to Li Fuming, Regional Commander of Shanxi Garrison, who had died a martyr’s death in battle, was the subject of much court debate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, at the imperial court session, the Chongzhen Emperor nominated Zhou Yuji, Vice General of the Left Battalion of the Five Divine Machine Battalions and Acting Commissioner-in-Chief with one grade added; Tang Yu, Vice General of the Right Battalion of the Six Divine Machine Battalions and Acting Commissioner-in-Chief; and Luo Junjie, Vice Regional Commander of the Jianchang Central Coordination Battalion of Ji Garrison and Commissioner-in-Chief, among others, to await selection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, Zhou Yuji prevailed, assuming the post of Regional Commander of Shanxi Garrison several years earlier than in the historical record.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps there was also an intent to maintain checks and balances. Wang Dou’s power in the three garrisons of Xuan-Da was growing ever stronger; having Zhou Yuji, a capital Garrison Commander utterly loyal to the court, in place could provide a slight counterbalance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Fu Yingchong, in light of his merits in the Liaodong campaign, the Chongzhen Emperor placed great expectations on him and swiftly promoted him to Regional Commander of the Forward Battalion. Many of the captured Han Eight Banners’ four-wheeled millstone cannons would be placed in his battalion, making him for a time a prominent figure in the Divine Machine Battalion and the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Bianjiao, Count of Jingnan, and Wang Tingchen, Count of Ningnan, were finally confirmed. They would soon march south to suppress the Chuang bandits and the Cao bandits. They would serve as the advance force; later, Tang Tong, Count of Dingxi, would also march south depending on the war situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally, with Wang Dou in Xuanfu Garrison, Wang Pu, Regional Commander of Datong Garrison, could well have been redeployed south to increase the chances of suppression. However, Wang Pu was too close to Wang Dou and had been scornfully labeled by some literati as “a running dog under the Wang clan’s gate,” so tragically, like Wang Dou, he was kept in cold storage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In contrast, although Cao Bianjiao and Wang Tingchen were also close to Wang Dou, they had minds of their own, and Tang Tong was even more of a fence-sitter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hong Chengchou, Count of Nan’an, was temporarily kept in the capital in honorable retirement; affairs in Liaodong were temporarily managed by Provincial Governor Qiu Minyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps in the minds of the court, the public, the sovereign, and the ministers, Hong Chengchou was the best candidate for Regional Commander to exterminate the roving bandits — only his health did not currently permit it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, there was in fact an even better candidate: Wang Dou, Marquis of Yongning. Yet by unspoken consensus, everyone forgot about Wang Dou.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His merits had long been too great to reward; if he exterminated the roving bandits too, how could the court possibly reward him? That was one reason. And then there was this: Wang Dou was so domineering; if he piled up more achievements, no one dared imagine what would happen next. Better to let the old man take a rest…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the bustling Chaoyangmen Avenue, Han Kaixuan and several brothers from his unit were walking along. During this period of deliberations in the capital, with the court’s approval, Wang Dou had granted the various battalions of the Jingbian Army leave in rotation, allowing them to visit the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the feet of the Son of Heaven, the land of benevolent women, naturally everyone was in high spirits. Beforehand, the officers of each battalion had strictly enforced military discipline: no soldier was to cause trouble in the capital. Of course, if anyone dared provoke them, they were to strike first and talk later — the Grand General had their backs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon entering the capital, as required, they were permitted to wear only waist sabers; heavy weapons such as long spears and bird guns were forbidden. They were also subject to restrictions by the guards of the Twelve Imperial Bodyguard Units and the patrol archers of the Five Wards Military Command. After all, as frontier soldiers, it was already quite generous that the Son of Heaven permitted them to enter the capital for leisure; they could not demand too much more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walking along the main street, the prosperity was indeed beyond words. Yet everywhere they looked, there was also extreme polarization between poverty and wealth. Ragged beggars and bankrupt commoners selling their children were everywhere. The streets were also exceedingly filthy, forming a stark contrast with the haughty, richly dressed men and women who passed by.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The commoners of the capital, however, had one distinctive trait: they were exceedingly enthusiastic and fond of gathering to gawk. Wherever Han Kaixuan and his group went, crowds surrounded them three layers deep on the inside and three layers deep on the outside, more popular than giant pandas. Clicks of the tongue could be heard constantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bearing and appearance of the Jingbian Army went without saying: every man was in gleaming armor, back ramrod straight, bearing heroic and commanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching these extraordinarily valiant warriors pass by, many worldly-wise capital commoners clicked their tongues in wonder. They remarked that they had seen plenty of frontier troops — every one of them was either a ruffian or a barracks scoundrel, or else cowering and shrunken, repulsive to behold. Warriors like these, possessing the bearing of ancient gentlemen, were truly rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What also surprised them was the wealth of these Jingbian troops. Every man’s purse was bulging; they bought goods and wares with extraordinary largesse. The onlookers secretly inquired: was the Eastern Sector truly so rich? Was serving in the army there truly so advantageous?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, as for silver, Wang Dou now lacked none. And every time a battle ended, even the lowliest soldier could receive a large share of rewards. Whether they wanted grain scrip or silver was up to each individual. It was just that within the army now, it was more fashionable to accept merit points, so that the silver and grain scrip from the Finance Bureau saw less use when distributing battle honors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because they were about to enter the capital for the review, Wang Dou had already granted permission for every soldier to draw their reward in advance, to be deducted after they returned to the Eastern Route.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For ordinary men, achieving success and fame is all for the sake of showing off before others, and since grain tickets could not be used in the capital, every soldier drew a sum of silver to flaunt in the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus the impression they gave outsiders was one of gallantry and wealth, making the people of the capital sigh: how could such an army not win every battle? Fierce in war, free with their spending, courteous in manner, and handsome in bearing — truly the envy of all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It also confirmed a saying of Chen Xinjia: \"When honored to the extreme, one grows proud; when wealthy to the extreme, one must be bold.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Kaohui was handsome, and as the crowd gathered around him, an endless stream of young girls and married women cast flirtatious glances his way; even Liu Lie, Wu Dingguo, and the others beside him received a fair number by association.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A great battle had matured Han Kaohui considerably. This scene before him reminded him of when he had first arrived on the outskirts of the capital, only now Chen Pang and the others who had teased him were no longer there. In this moment, he did not know whether to feel sorrow or joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if in a dream, Han Kaohui and his comrades turned a street corner, when suddenly his steps halted and he stood frozen in place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three young women were approaching from the opposite direction. Two were clearly maidservants, and the one in the middle was charming and lovely — was she not that very girl he had seen that day?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, the girl opposite also caught sight of Han Kaohui. Her eyes lit up with a look of delighted surprise, then both her cheeks flushed crimson. She raised her fan to cover half her face, her liquid eyes gazing at Han Kaohui as she passed by him with graceful, swaying steps. After walking a short distance, she paused and looked back with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strange feeling rose in Han Kaohui's heart. He watched them walk further away, and then the girl said something; one of the maidservants beside her answered and came bouncing back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blushing, she pressed a square of silk into Han Kaohui's hand and said boldly: \"My handsome sir, this is from my young mistress. You must come to propose marriage soon. If you take the young mistress, this slave girl and my sister will also be part of the dowry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her face flushed again, and she darted away like a lively little rabbit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Kaohui unfolded the silk cloth. Embroidered on it was a line from a poem, the script delicate and graceful, possessing a certain spiritual elegance — it was from Li Zhiyi's \"Song of Divination.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Day after day I long for you, yet see you not... I only wish your heart were like my heart, and then I would not be unworthy of this love's longing...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was also some kind of mark on the silk, seemingly from some official residence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Han Kaohui's family background was actually quite decent — a middling household, well-off and free, his parents still alive, with three older sisters at home who had doted on him since childhood. Thus from a young age he had read military texts thoroughly, practiced martial arts, and studied letters and characters. He naturally understood the meaning of the words on the cloth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A youth just beginning to know the taste of love — for a moment, he could not help but be entranced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Lie beside him muttered: \"Three at once — there's no justice in this world.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Wu Dingguo wore a gloomy face all day, he was rather observant. He saw what was on Han Kaohui's mind, and noticing that quite a few idle men and women still lingered around, watching with relish and whispering among themselves, he asked: \"Does anyone know which household that young lady just now belongs to?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An idle fellow said: \"This humble one knows. That young lady is the niece of General Fu Yingchong, the newly appointed Regional Commander of the Capital Training Divisions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Dingguo tossed him a silver ingot, a full tael, and said: \"That's for you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The idle fellow was overjoyed and cried out loudly: \"I thank the military lord for his reward.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the fifteenth day of the eleventh month, matters in the capital were concluded, and Wang Dou and the others were all to lead their troops away from the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he needed to return to Xuanfu Garrison to hand over official business with Wang Dou, and also had to let the new army soldiers go home to pack and say their farewells, Yang Guozhu would travel together with Wang Dou. (To be continued)\u003C\u002Fp>",3131,"2026-06-03T14:05:53.320Z",1,"Novelzhen Translator","ba9b821d59b6efd35106a6f051372945d0102ae79095487a9f1f7ccbc7bfa98e","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-597","a-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-chapter-595",896,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fa-little-soldier-of-the-late-ming-border-army-cover.jpg"]